sai vs bo

[karatekaBR86]

Lets say two equally skilled adepts in their own art (one saijutsu the other bojutsu) faced off...Which weapon do you think would beat the other? Please post thoughts

[Shorinryu Sensei]

It's a question that really has no correct answer to it. There are so many factors involved.

 

1. The sai can be thrown, the bo can't.

 

2. The bo is "generally" (not always) considered to be a distance weapon, whereas the sai are a close quarters weapon.

 

a. You have to be close to strike with a sai, but not a bo.

 

3. The location of the fight, is it cluttered (trees, tables, walls, etc) or open (field, gym)? A sai has an advantage in a cluttered environment.

 

As you say, assuming both combatants have the same skills..who is having a better day that day (luckier)?

 

Given an open field of "play", equal skils..I'd say the bo has the advantage generally against any other martial arts weapon.

[harleyt26]

I would have to agree with Shorinryu Sensei a bo would generaly be the weapon I would bet on given equaly expeienced and knowlege and phisically comparable.But I would not necessarily agree that the bo is more of a long range weapon.As he said the sai can be thrown,originally the sai were carried in threes for this reason.If any of you have ever trained with a weapon makiwara you would find the range of a bo much closer than you would think.As Shorinryu Sensei said on another thread the bo should normally be held in thirds,that would be breaking the bo into two foot sections,two feet past each hand and two feet between them.Two feet of reach does not get you much more range than a nineteen inch set of sai.That is of course the average six foot bo.But with a bo you can let a little out by moving your hands more toward one end and gain some range.Try a makiwara it will teach you much about your technique and will automatically correct your hand positioning.I build mine using landscape timbers built like a cross set into the ground and wrapped with rope to help duplicate the feel of hitting a body and it keeps from destroying my weapons,I would recomend a very strong kumi bo and do not spend much on it it will be severely abused with time as your technique improves.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

uhhhhh...we don't always hold the bo in a 2'-2'-2' hold..just most of the time we do. The bo can be extended also like a jab while holding onto the last foot of it, and retracting it quickly. Therre are other techniques, but I don't want to turn this into a bo lesson.

 

And yes, normally the bo is a distance weapon, but there are certainly a multitude of inside, close quarter terchniques including traps, sweeps, pressure points, blocks, etc. that are used also. I didn't mean to imply the bo was exclusively an outside/distance weapon. IMHO, it's the most versatile of all the weapons, and the easiest by far to find a substitute for on the street in case you forgot to pack yours along with you on a night on the town with your lady.

[battousai16]

i hate it when that happens!

[Shorin Ryuu]

I agree with Shorinryu Sensei (unsurprisingly)...there is an incredible wealth of grappling and close range techniques associated with the bo. I've heard a theory that Okinawan guards would use the bo outside and the jo inside, since the restrictions of hallway space and the like would necessitate a shorter length for close range fighting.

 

Anyway, I still would not want to fight a master of the sai, since it is such a nasty to weapon (and by that, I mean it can really cause you some serious hurtin').

[Sauzin]

I would say this:

 

A beginner with a bo would have a slight advantage over a beginner with a sai in open combat. Pure power, distance, and simplicity would be in the bo's favor.

 

An intermediate with a sai would have a slight advantage over a intermediate with a bo because of the sai's innate ability to trap a bo momentarily with the flick of a wrist and the sai’s lethal ability to take advantage of this momentary lack of movement.

 

On an advanced level, I think most advanced weapon practitioners would prefer the bo. But at an advanced level, skill is so much more a determining factor then the weapon that it is impossible to point out any specific advantages/disadvantages that would make a lick of difference.

[battousai16]

actually, if they were two beginners, i think i'd favor the sai, since it's easier to apply them to your empty hand techniques. just a thought.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

actually, if they were two beginners, i think i'd favor the sai, since it's easier to apply them to your empty hand techniques. just a thought.

 

I don't think that would be the case however, as manipulation of the sai is much harder than with the bo for a beginner. Plus with the sai, you have to make sure they are placed in the proper position to block an incoming strike, and I've seen many that don't do that correctly...even black belts. Block it wrong, and the sai are worthless. Nope, for beginners, I'd give a definite edge to the bo wielder.

[battousai16]

i was just kind of assuming. i have no experience with the sai i just figured since they're shorter, you could move them quicker and move more naturally. but to tell you the truth, i don't even know that i've ever even held a sai before. so i'll take your word for it